The Cubs should not be rushing to move on from Kris Bryant for several clear reasons.
The Chicago Cubs had a month of April to forget. The team is now 12-16 heading into play Monday, which is good for last place in the National League Central division. However, the Cubs are still only five games out of first with plenty of baseball to be played.
One player not having a slow start is Kris Bryant. He leads the team in nearly every major offensive category and already has an OPS of 1.114. But the overall bad start will have plenty of fans wondering if that means a Bryant trade is coming soon.
The front office has decisions to make on Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Javier Baez. Moving on from Bryant seemed to be a sure thing given his grievance over service time and the big payday awaiting him. However, the Cubs should change their minds and do what it takes to keep him for several key reasons.
1. A rebuild is not necessary
There is no reason why a team like the Cubs should look to shed top talent and money. The money issue is true with just about every major sports team, given the existence of billionaire owners.
The Cubs play in one of the biggest markets in sports and have been developing Bryant since drafted him No. 2 overall in 2013. Trading him now would make the team seem more like the Cleveland Indians or Pittsburgh Pirates.
This franchise should look to be a consistent contender and keep up with the likes of the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and even New York Mets in terms of spending to win. Baseball’s financial structure allows for it and the Cubs don’t need to sink back into the role of “lovable loser” ever again.